Slum Soccer: Scoring big!

When was the last time you chatted with your chaiwala, while sipping a cuppa? Have you ever spoken to a child who lives in a slum, about his or her life? Do you know the kind of work-hours an average cab driver puts in a day, or the personal problems of your kaamwali bai? Uncomfortable questions? Yes. Irrelevant questions? Absolutely not.

These are the very questions that also happened to trouble Mel Young and Harald Schmied and they decided to do something about it. These two acquaintances came up with a brilliant idea of a ‘Football World Cup for the Homeless’ in 2001. They reasoned that what poor or homeless kids need is not charity. They need respect, an identity, and a life-changing experience. And what better way to do that than through sports?

The strength of the idea and the organizational skills of these two founders have made the Homeless World Cup a high-profile event today. The 2015 version, held at Amsterdam, between September 12 and 19 saw 63 countries participate. India was one of them.

For over a century, Indian NGOs have been working for various sections of the underprivileged. Slum Soccer, a Nagpur based organization is one of them. It involves children from slums or low-income families in sporting activities. The promoters of Homeless World Cup have been working closely with them and other organizations, to identify and coordinate participants from India for this annual event.

The 2015 Indian squad consisted of 10 boys and 10 girls from underprivileged families. While the event organizers pay for food, accommodation and local travel, participating teams must pay for their visas and air tickets. While previously, Slum Soccer and other organizations raised these funds through donations, in 2015, they decided to try a more effective approach.

Ketto, being the largest crowdfunding website in India, was the default choice. An exclusive page was created for the Indian squad, on Ketto’s website. An appeal was included for people, to contribute liberally towards the required amount of 8 lakh. The organizers were pleasantly surprised as the required amount was raised in less than a month. The Indian squad could participate in the event without any hassle, thereby scripting one more success story for Ketto.

What makes Ketto popular is the ease with which anybody can raise funds, irrespective of their background. Which means that if you have a meaningful cause, you can start an online campaign on Ketto overnight to raise funds. Rest assured, Ketto will help you manage the entire process for better results.